UM’s Pack and Poplar have ankle sprains; neither is certain to play versus Louisville
The University of Miami men’s basketball team might be without Nijel
Pack on Wednesday against Louisville (7 p.m., ACCN) in Coral Gables, and Wooga Poplar’s status remains day to day, as both players are recovering from ankle sprains.
Coach Jim Larrañaga said on a conference call Monday morning that he hopes to have Poplar back Wednesday after he missed the past two games, but “we won’t know until Wednesday.”
Poplar was averaging 16.2 points and 5.2 rebounds before his injury.
He was less optimistic about Pack, who scored 15 points in UM’s overtime loss to Wake Forest on Saturday after missing a few games with an ankle sprain.
“They’re definitely not 100 percent, and I’d say Nijel is in the worst shape,” Larrañaga said, when asked if Poplar, Pack and Norchad Omier (who left the Wake Forest game briefly with a right ankle sprain) are 100 percent or still hobbling.
“[Pack] really helped us by playing, and looking back on it, would we have done the same thing even with the sprain? Yes. But he’s going to need some rest right now.”
Asked about Omier’s status, Larrañaga replied: “Norchad is a different kind of human being. He’s like... if you hurt a lion. How does he respond? He just gets angry and is more aggressive.
“So, I think Norchad will be fine.”
Omier left the Wake Forest game after rolling his ankle with seven minutes to go in the first half, but returned and finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
“Norchad is an all-conference-caliber player having a great year, he’s so valuable to us,” Larrañaga said.
“We’ve got to have him on the floor. He went out for two minutes against Wake Forest and all of a sudden, we’re down.”
The Hurricanes are 11-3 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. Louisville is 5-9, 0-3.